


Bonds: Temari and Hinata

by drowninglinguists



Series: Bonds [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, basically me exploring shit and see if i can still write longfic, go fucking figure, it was a one shot and now it's a multichapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-24 04:59:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10734600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drowninglinguists/pseuds/drowninglinguists
Summary: A multi-chapter story about spousal cheating, the relationships between the Nara and the Uzumaki, and my fight against the preposterous notion that Temari and Hinata are no longer kunoichi after they get married.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was just editing my "They Weren't On A Break" one shot, and it became this? I love writing about these real-world themes, and then it just kind of evolved into something deeper, and in the end haha hello I remember they're kunoichi. And what do kunoichi do? Fuck shit up.

“Hinata, wait,” he pleads desperately, “I was drunk, she came onto me, I thought she was you--” But Naruto’s just digging himself in deeper. He's on his knees, arms wrapped around Hinata's torso, desperation painting his face an ugly color. For a second, Temari thinks she sees Hinata waiver, and then something new slaps itself across her face: the sting of betrayal.

The quiet, volcanic anger in Hinata’s voice makes Temari wince. “You thought she was me?”

Naruto mistakes the question for what it isn’t--hope. “She had purple hair, she was about your height. She said I even called your name when I finished.”

There are very obvious tears in Naruto’s eyes, but somehow he’s still smiling. But this isn’t a smile with any trace of happiness. There’s something about his smile that is making Temari want to tear your heart out of your chest, because his smile is making her feel his pain. It’s too much for anyone to deal with, and her first thought is Hinata. _She_ doesn't even love him, but for his wife, the womane he pledged to spend his life, it must be like glass piercing her chest.

But because she’s empathetic, despite her best effort not to be, she gets it. He was drunk, he thought it was Hinata, he wasn't thinking--there are one thousand reasons why he did what he did, and she's sure Hinata has heard them all, in her head, in this moment, as she tries to decide what to do. But the bottom line, despite everything he meant, is that he cheated. He slept with someone else. And they’re married. He made vows to her. To love her always, in sickness and in health, as long as they both should live, and he cheated on her.

“We shouldn’t be here,” she turns to her husband, gripping his arm too tightly, “we shouldn’t be seeing this.”

Shikamaru nods. There’s a subdued but large degree of horror registering on his face, something that unnerves Temari almost as much as Naruto’s torturous smile. She doesn’t want Shikamaru’s face to be like this. She tugs him, already half-turned toward the door.

Hinata calls her name. “Temari.” She looks, because Hinata is her best friend, she thinks, because she owes her the look-- _someone_ owes Hinata a kept promise--not because she wants to see this. “Wait.”

Hinata’s lithe fingers are prying Naruto’s grip from her shirt. There is disgust and anger on her face, indicating the nature of her decision, but Temari also notices that her fingers are blue--like there’s no blood in them, like Hinata’s heart has actually stopped. She knows Hinata loves Naruto with all her heart, and she knows in Shikamaru’s hands he could likely make her heart stop altogether too. She can picture herself in Hinata's position, and it's terrifying.

Subconsciously, she steps closer into Shikamaru, stealing what seconds of comfort she can before Hinata asks her to do something--whatever it is, she knows it's going to be hard. Her instincts have never failed her, and although this isn't easy for anyone in the room, it's hardest on Hinata. And Temari will never forgive Naruto, because Hinata just might.

But he has hope, because he's Naruto. He has even turned to her to shoot her a desperate glance. _You're her best friend, Temari, talk to her._

But she's her best friend. And that isn't her job. Making _Naruto_ feel better isn't her job.

“Temari,” Hinata calls her name again, but it’s obvious that this time her voice is starting to waver. Hinata hasn’t had to deal with much like this--unlike Temari, she’s never had to remain strong through crisis after crisis. She _cannot_ do this, so Temari will do it for her.

Dropping Shikamaru’s hand, she all but races across the space to her, wraps her arm around Hinata, and pulls her quickly from the room. She doesn’t bother with the door on their way out.

Shikamaru is left alone, standing in the room.

For a moment, there is hope in Naruto’s eyes.

Shikamaru--his advisor, arguably his best friend, the one person in all of Konoha who might not hate him for it.

“How could you do that to her?” Shikamaru’s voice is an accusation and revulsion, along with disappointment. The disgust on his face is different than Hinata’s, though, because along with the disappointment, there is an absence of surprise. It was something Temari caught earlier, before she took Hinata out of the room, and led her to the realization that Shikamaru must've had a suspicion. At the very least, he must've had a _worry_ that it might happen, because of some event that he didn't mention or discuss with her--likely because he knew she’d have marched down and kicked Naruto's ass.

There's a second where Shikamaru tries to find some other words to say, even if it's an insult. He could tell him he's acting like Sasuke, but most of what Shikamaru feels for Sasuke is hate, and, besides that, it's probably too mean an insult. Temari's rubbed off on him, but there's also no scenario where it doesn't just give Naruto anger to latch onto, instead of forcing him to face his problem. Most important of all, Naruto isn't Sasuke. Naruto is _so far_ from Sasuke that it isn't even funny, and his mouth half-opens to say just that, until he snaps it shut. He won't fix _this_ for him.

Outside, Hinata is mute, arms wrapped around herself, only leaning the barest bit into Temari. But it’s what she’s holding onto right now, this minute action most people would miss, but if it’s all Hinata can give her right now, Temari’s going to make sure it’s acknowledged, so she's leaning an equal amount into her. Temari is worried, but her feelings aren’t important right now. Her feelings are minimal, able to tampered out, and _will be_ tampered out when she gets home. Hinata doesn't have that, may never have that again.

Footsteps behind them, and Shikamaru jogs up, worriedly glancing at Hinata, then sharing a look with his wife. Unwilling to risk shaking her head, Temari just looks back at him.

But he understands, she can tell. Of course he understands, because he’s her husband and he loves her and he would never do this to her. He wasn’t in love with someone else for five years. It was always her for him; she was the only one.

Maybe, Temari realizes, on some level Hinata thought this could happen.

The rushing has stopped, at least, but Temari will only let them slow down so much. But she'll follow along at whatever pace Hinata needs her to--she’s only afraid that Hinata will stop if she goes too slowly, and it’s her job not to let her cry in public.

“Where are we going?” She asks softly, rubbing Hinata’s shoulder.

“Shino.” Is the only words she says.

The sound of Hinata’s voice, uttered as if her throat moves against sandpaper, makes Temari flinch. She isn’t usually so susceptible to these sorts of things, but Hinata is personified sunshine in Temari's mind, bright and bubbly and cheerful. It’s one thing for her to sound like this, with her dead parents and distant brothers, but not Hinata. For Hinata, little could be worse, more jarring, more _wrong_.

On some level, Temari is aware that she feels some sense of guilt that Hinata cannot and will not turn to her for this. They’re supposed to be best friends, they _are_ best friends. But a guess as to why is not hard to think of--she’s _happy_. She and Shikamaru are perfect. They were seven years in the making, of pining and thinking of only each other. They were always going to happen, and once they did there would be no question for either of them.

But Hinata, her love was unrequited for years. She stood on the sidelines, watching and hearing Naruto declare his love for someone else most days out of the year. Temari doesn’t know how Hinata held on so long, and truly admires her for her strength. But, tremendous strength or not, Temari realizes there was doubt throughout all of it, that she and Naruto would ever happen. Because he gave her reason to, every time he talked about Sakura.

But Shikamaru, he never so much as _looked_ at anyone but her.

Temari wouldn’t want to be around her either right now.

Shino’s place isn’t far. He’s moved from the Aburame complex into the center of the village, better for his job at the Academy, and almost as though he can sense it--it wouldn’t surprise Temari, Shino has a sixth sense about all sorts of things--he’s out front, watering his garden.

He looks up upon their approach, and the look on Hinata’s face makes him drop his watering can.

“Hinata.” His deep voice is as close to shaking as Temari has ever heard it, and he rushes forward just as Hinata stumbles out from Temari's arm. He's still calm, despite the quiet rage Temari can feel burning beneath his skin, and only reassuringly and steadily puts his arm around Hinata and draws her to him with noticably as much strength as he can muster.

It’s obvious, for people who know Hinata as well as the three standing with her now, that she tries very hard to hold out for a moment, to utilize with all of the strength she has left after what she just went through. But it becomes apparent that she used it all up not trying not to cry in front of Naruto (because he'd have _held her_ and then she would have crumbled). When Shino pulls her to him, her oldest friend, unfailing in his commitment to always supporting her, being there for her through everything as good friends should be, an awful shudder wracks up Hinata’s spine and she bursts into heart-wrenching and very wet tears.

Shino spares them a two-second look--Temari doesn't miss the fact that he has to take a minute to compose himself before he looks at Hinata again--and Temari only frowns while Shikamaru mouths ‘Naruto’. Immediately after, both Nara are witness to a darkness settling over Shino’s face. Hidden behind his composure is undoubtedly every torture method Shino knows, every scenario he prepared _just in case_ Hinata was ever hurt by the man who more or less ignored her existence for seven years. Even Temari, who has seen an infant give way to a tailed beast more times than she cares to remember, is haunted by the expression on his face.

Giving a shudder herself, she turns to look at Shikamaru, only to find that he’s already looking at her. Her eyes catch on his and she swallows, covering her mouth with her hand. She can’t bring herself to speak, so she just looks at him, teal eyes wide and damp, mouth a thin line behind her hand.

Shikamaru is the person she’s most empathetic with, so of course she can feel all of his emotions, too. His anger at Naruto, his worry for Hinata, that he loves her so much that it’s taking every ounce of self control he’s got not to pull her into his arms right here, right now and never let go. But she has no doubt that he came to the same conclusion she did, about why Hinata didn’t ask to stay with them, and it's only kind to wait until they get home.

But she remembers the lack of surprise, on his face when they heard Naruto admit to cheating. And even if she didn’t remember, even if she hadn't overheard his phonecall last night, she can read his face better than a newspaper, and there are bits of guilt shining stubbornly in the corners of his eyes. It's where he always keeps his guilt; it's almost a habit for her to look there every time she hasn't seen him for a few hours.

As one, they decide to return home.

Their house isn’t far, but they run anyway. Times like these, discussions like this, are for the privacy of one’s own home.

\--

They’re barely through the door when he scoops her up, burying his face in her hair while she buries hers in his shoulder. He isn’t much taller than her but she’s practically off her feet just the same, clinging so hard to him that her flexed muscles begin to ache. She’s sort of numb, in a weird way, and can barely feel his arms around her, even though she knows he’s squeezing as tightly as he can, too.

The secret is they’re both empathetic people. Shikamaru’s cover is a guise of laziness and Temari’s mask has always been toughness, but underneath their two different approaches to protecting themselves, they’re the same. It's one reason why they're so harmonious and so effortlessly happy--they're the same (at least very similar) in a lot of things.

She loves Hinata so much, she thinks she might cry. She’s so mad at Naruto, she thinks she might cry.

Shikamaru’s embrace feels so good and she feels so safe that she doesn’t feel like crying at all.

Cradling her face, much gentler than her hands have a hold of his, he tilts his head slightly to the left. _Are you okay?_

She nods in answer to his silent question. _iIm okay._

 _What about you?_ She asks, as her hands slide past his neck and collarbone and ultimately rest on his chest. His heartbeat is steady, and so is the way he nods. _I'm fine._

She breathes loudly, and the newly-free space in her lungs lets her talk.

At the same time:

“I can’t believe--”

“Temari, you know I’d never--”

She spares a small smile.

“I know.” She’s holding his face again, standing on her tiptoes, pressing as close to him as she can physically get. “Of course I know. And you know I’d never--”

He nods emphatically, pressing a series of quick and strangely-desperate kisses across her forehead and hairline. “Of course.”

To get it over with, she kisses him. They were going to kiss anyway, after a certain, yet-to-be-determined amount of talking, so she's going to just do it now and skip the wondering and wishing. She kisses him until she feels better, less like the floor beneath her is about to bust open and drop them all to hell. She kisses him until her lungs ache.

She pulsl back. “We were going to do that anyway,” she claims, to which he nods, pressing another, softer kiss to her lips. His eyes linger on her lips for another four heartbeats, and then she hears the shift in his breathing as he forces his mind to think about something else.

“You want some tea?” He asks, to which Temari smiles a little and nods her head; she always wants tea, as he knows.

They walk into the kitchen together. She trails after him, holding his hand until he absolutely needs it. This involves him getting out two mugs, filling the kettle, waiting for it to boil, steeping, and pouring it into the mugs. He never once comments, and is holding her hand just as tightly. From her efforts, there are spots of water on the counter, but neither of them notice.

She takes one sip, and then she begins to pace.

Shikamaru’s eyes are anxious as he watches her, she knows without even looking at him. She only paces when extremely anxious, and while she knows he’d never cheat on her, she is not as alright as she said.

But he leaves it alone until they’re sitting at the kitchen table, until the tea isn't hot enough for her to make the excuse that she's waiting to drink it so she does not burn her tongue, until they both have their steaming mugs that they will both ultimately forget to drink.

Still, Temari wraps her hands around it while her eyes drink him in like a starving woman. Her head is spinning--her husband is faithful, her marriage is still in-tact, as strong as ever and perhaps stronger still from what they witnessed today, but she feels Hinata's pain. She feels the horror, the betrayal, the hopelessness, the distress for the rest of their life. Shinotism doesn't believe in divorce.

Nothing in particular draws her out of her head, just him. Her eyes focus again, and she's _staring_ , so differently than she used to, so intensely that she could count his eyelashes, could measure the militeres of his cheeks. He’s handsome and she’ll never tire of looking at him as long as she lives.

She becomes aware that he's giving her the same treatment. Her skin warms and a slight smile pulls at her mouth, but she's perfectly aware that there is no rush to speak. She and Shikamaru often communicate in perfect silence.

But, like usual, she is the first one to break the silence.

“Fess up,” she has strength enough for a slightly larger smile now, and it turns her tone teasing, despite the seriousness of the situation, “I saw your face. You weren’t surprised.”

Somewhat awkwardly, Shikamaru chuckles. “I should’ve known.” He brushes his knee with hers, to buy himself precious seconds to think, and then he begins to explain.

\--

Last night, 10:32pm, the Nara residence.

 _“Hello?”_ Shikamaru’s voice is pleasant, tapered with laughter from something Temari is saying.

_“Shikamaruuu! What’s up, man?”_

_“Naruto?”_ He’s confused, and answers Temari's inquiry of 'what's going on' with a shrug. He doesn't know. But he does have a feeling. _“Where are you? It’s loud. I can hardly hear--”_

 _“I’m at a bar!”_ Naruto laughs at something Shikamaru can’t hear, but apparently it’s very, very funny.

 _“Naruto.”_ He tries patiently, but the laughter continues.

_“Naruto.”_

_“Naruto.”_

_“Naru--”_

_“Quit it,”_ Naruto finally says, laughing a final time along with the feminine voice in the background. _“I lost my cellphone, this is a pay. Can you believe they still have these things? They’re ancient.”_

_“Yeah, weird… So, why did you call? It’s kinda late, Temari and I were--”_

_“Oh yeah! I can’t remember Hinata’s cell number. It’s on speed dial, you know? All I have to do is hit 1 and it dials her, and then her sweet, little voice picks up and I can start talking to her and she’ll listen to me and-- She’s my wife, I still can’t believe that." Naruto trails off dreamily. Anywho, I need you to tell Temari to tell her I lost my phone, and that I’ll be home late because I can’t call a cab and have to walk.”_

_“Do you want a ride?”_ Shikamaru asks immediately. Something isn’t clicking, something that isn’t quite making sense. _“I can come--”_

_“Nah, you’re with Temari! I don’t want to interrupt you, man, I’ll be fine!”_

_“Temari and I can both come,”_ Shikamaru reiterates, noting Temari’s willing but confused nod.

 _“Nah,”_ Naruto says again, _“I’ll be home soon. Please just tell Hinata for me, alright? I don’t want her to worry.”_

_“Alright, but--”_

The line clicks. Dead.

Frowning, Shikamaru lets his hand remain listlessly where it was, phone still pressed to his ear.

“Babe?” Asks Temari, worriedly helping him put his hand down.

Despite the bad feeling in his gut, his heart warms. He smiles at her, stomach doing flip flops when she smiles back, and explains. “It was Naruto. He needed a ride.”

Since they aren’t hopping off to get in the car, Temari figures the ‘needed’ implies he’s getting it from someone else. There’s something Shikamaru isn’t telling her, though. She can see it in his face; he’s worried about something.

“Naruto wanted you to text Hinata,” Shikamaru says, “tell her he'll be home late.”

She doesn’t ask what's bothering him, she just picks up his hands and slides them around her waist and smiles at him again. He’d tell her later, if he wanted to, there was no point pushing him. He kisses her for a few minutes and she's content to let him, knowing it's one of the best ways he clears his head, makes decisions, understands the rare things he does not immediately completely comprehend.

Some minutes later, she goes to get her cell and text her best friend, and doesn't make it a point to question why he follows her and wraps his arms around her waist. _Naruto called_ , she's typing, doing her best to retain her giggles from where her husband's stubble presses against her neck, _he doesn't want you to worry. His phone died and he has to walk._

Hinata's answer comes less than three minutes later, according to the time stamp on Temari's phone which she checks over an hour later, after she and Shikamaru made love twice and did the laundry without bothering to get dressed: _That's not like him_.

\--

“There was a woman with him when he called you.”

Dropping his head to gaze at the table, Shikamaru doesn’t bother nodding.

“You can’t feel guilty about that.” His wife’s voice is fierce, and when he looks up her eyes are just as much. “It was a bar, plenty of people in the background, you had no way of knowing he’d end up sleeping with her. Naruto’s an adult, capable of making his own decisions, you don’t have to babysit him every second. He should’ve been better.”

This time he nods, sweeping a bit of loose hair from his face. “You’re right. I know, I just…” His eyes meet Temari’s again, rich brown aching with empathy of his own. His voice is just the same, completely uncontrolled and vulnerable. (She almost kisses him.) “Hinata’s face.”

The ferocity drops from Temari’s face, and Shikamaru feels another pang of guilt despite himself, despite Temari's selfless words meant to assauge him of any blame. After just a minute, he easily brushed off. He knows well enough by now how to do that.

“Yeah. It was…” But she doesn’t finish her sentence.

There aren’t words for this.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with how to end this chapter, but hopefully it turns out alright... They're still kunoichi bye

To the tune of the near-silent shuffle of the footsteps of ladybugs, Hinata checks her phone for the millionth time. She cannot switch conversations and remain strong enough not to check Naruto’s forty-seven text messages, so she’s stuck rereading her conversation with Temari.

 

_ That’s not like him _ .

 

She’d sent Temari the text last night, but the read stamp says 7:36am the next morning, likely after it was too late. What time, exactly, had her husband shattered their marriage?

 

Perhaps she’d been able to tell at the time, and simply didn’t trust her instincts enough to march down to his favorite bar--she’s been there with him far too many times not to wander about which booth, which stool he met her in--and stop him. But what would have been the point, if he was going to cheat on her anyway? It just would’ve been later. She would’ve been older, less likely to leave him. She’s only twenty-two. She’s still young. She can make it again, learn to trust again.

 

She and Temari texted several times in the morning, about mundane things she wishes she could forget, things she can’t forget now that they’ve been burned into her memory. 

 

_ Of course it’s like him. He’s forgetful, isn’t he? It’s lucky he called us. _

 

Temari’d meant it as a joke, Hinata knows.

 

_ He should know my cell number. _

 

She’d been typing more, but she’d kept erasing and starting over, so Temari’d said,  _ Yes, he should’ve. _ And it had thrown Hinata for a loop.

 

_ He should be home. Why isn’t he here, Temari? What is he doing? Is he hurt? Did he get run over in the street last night? I don’t even know if he’s ALRIGHT. We were talking about starting a family. What if we never get to do that now? What if he’s paralyzed? What if he’s never going to come home? _

 

Temari’s reply had taken a few minutes.  _ I know it’s hard, but try not to worry until you have to. I’ll be over soon. _

 

Hinata never minded that Shikamaru went everywhere with Temari, but it would have been better if only one person had seen what happened between her and Naruto. To spare him, as the best wife she could possibly be, she’d wish that  _ no one _ had seen it. But her selfishness needs to know it was real, needs the confirmation and perspective from another person. She’s glad it was Temari, and she’s even glad Temari has that too, in Shikamaru.

 

But she isn’t a huge fan of the fact that were witnesses to her breakdown.

 

Last night, after they’d taken her to Shino’s, she’d cried only a little more. Shino--he is her  _ best friend _ , other than Temari--had distracted her with entomology facts--somehow he never seemed to run out, despite how long they had known each other--and they’d tried making  _ aki no udon _ with homemade broth. The results were questionable, but they’d both eaten it, and the distraction  _ had _ worked.

 

But Shino had gone off to the Academy, and even if it was only at her insistence, the fear of loneliness in her future is starting to get to her.

 

Alone with her thoughts, she keeps replaying last night in her mind.

 

\--

 

Uzumaki residence, 12:06am.

 

She can’t sleep. There’s a desire to call Temari, even if it’s just to chat, but she knows her friend sleeps early, and that to call her would be to wake up Shikamaru, too, so she swallows the urge.

 

She tries cleaning. Reorganizing Naruto’s clothes--he never puts them away neatly in the closet, and some hang haphazardly off their hangers while pairs of pants are simply stuffed through and unclipped--buys her just under forty-five minutes. But now she’s awake, so she gets the vacuum and runs the hot fan over the carpet of their bedroom until she smells burning plastic. 

 

But eventually cleaning runs out of distraction, too, so she gets back in bed and touches herself. She starts out slow, the way Naruto always does, with her pointer and middle finger rubbing slow circles against her clit. It’s not hard to lose herself in their most recent sexual foray; Naruto had challenged himself to making her cum without his cock, and he’d gone about it enthusiastically. He’d sucked and nibbled on every inch of flesh he could, and despite the force of her first orgasm, he’d kept on, achieving her spilling her juices a second and a third time all before he let himself push inside of her.

 

She recalls with perfect clarity the way he’d filled her, the way he’d gasped her name, the  _ groan _ of surprise and pleasure he’d given when she’d flipped them and rode him hard.

 

She finishes, making a mess of underwear, and opens her eyes again. Her cheeks are flushed with sexual pleasure, and her mouth is slightly open, but there are no lips for her to kiss. It is mechanical, the way she rises out of bed, takes off the dirty ones, and puts on a fresh pair. She gets back into bed--his side--and presses her cheek into his pillow. Breathing in his scent, she glances at the clock one more time,  _ 2:32 am _ .

 

She stares at it until  _ 3:04am _ , when she blinks and it lasts well past the sunrise.

 

“Hinata,” her name breathed by her husband makes her smile, and she opens her eyes with relief and adoration.

 

“You’re home,” she smiles, and he nods, climbing into bed on top of her, burying his face in her neck. She’s happy to welcome him into her arms, and she holds him leisurely, rubbing his back for a reason her conscious mind does not fully comprehend.

 

His muffled words start becoming clearer.

 

_ I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry _ .

 

He goes on so long that his voice breaks and he sounds like an old man summoning his last breath before he dies.

 

“What?”

 

She’d hoped to have a more eloquent question in the face of his numerous and heartfelt apologies, but she doesn’t.

 

Croaking, he replies, “I slept with someone else.”

 

\--

 

It wasn’t the best way to tell her, but he wouldn’t be Naruto if he thought about everything he said before he said it.

 

_ And you wouldn’t be Hinata if you weren’t considering forgiving him already _ .

 

The voice in her head is not kind, but she’s been working on it. A lifetime of anxiety and worry and believing she isn’t good enough have led to a lack of confidence and a hard time remembering how hard she has worked to get to where she is today, as a kunoichi  _ and _ a a person. 

 

 _She’d_ _been working on it_ , and Naruto’s love and devotion had been helping her redefine herself in such a deep way that she hadn’t realized she’d been kinder to herself until just now, until she was mean to herself again.

 

_ She needs him _ . She knows in her bones that she needs him.

 

But he cheated on her. And she needs to have enough self-respect not to take him back.

 

\--

 

“Should I be concerned?” Temari says, absentmindedly anchoring her fingers into the skin of his shoulder blade. “Naruto cheats on Hinata, you get a phone call predicting it, and now we’re having sex for the second time in twelve hours, eight of which we spent asleep.”

 

“You should not,” her husband mutters. He’s kissing her neck, and he didn’t even bother to move his lips off her skin to speak. She feels the words as his mouth forms them.

 

She’s sure he can sense her pulse picking up, her breathing becoming shallower. Against her hip, he’s slowly hardening, and this isn’t helping keep her mind clear. She’ll want him inside of her, and  _ soon _ ; it won’t be much longer before she’s unable to stand it.

 

“Shikamaru,” she mutters, in a half-serious tone, but his lips have found her pulse point and a shock of stillness permeates her bones, arching helplessly into his body. His cock twitches against her, he grunts and she whimpers, busy for almost a minute more single-mindedly peppering slow kisses to her overly-sensitive neck.

 

He sits up, fully erect, looking her in the eye.

 

She’s biting her lip, and her nipples are hard, but he asks her anyway. “Do you want me to stop?”

 

“Fuck no,” Temari gasps, wrapping her arms around him with renewed strength, kissing him with all the passion she can muster, clumsily grinding against him through her underwear.

 

“Are you sure?” He teases, looking her in the eye while he slips one finger inside her.

 

She bucks helplessly, biting down on her fist to keep from screaming.

 

“I could,” he’s panting with the effort of keeping his movements measured and slow, “stop-- if you want.”

 

“No,” she gasps, as a moan rips past her teeth, “I want you inside me. I want you to make love to me.  _ Right now _ .”

 

Her words produce a throaty groan in Shikamaru. Though he doesn’t need to be told twice, she manages to get two strokes in before he enters her.

 

\--

 

When Hinata had left the house this morning, there was really no need for him to leave, too. That’s the logic Naruto uses not to kick himself out of his own house.

 

He tries to sleep, because he’s exhausted, but it’s a no-go without Hinata next to him. Absent of her warmth, the bed is ice cold, and he’s too lonely to stay in it for long. He gets up, pacing for half a minute, and then his sky blue eyes land on the closet. With a guilty chill, he sees that Hinata organized his side last night. 

 

He makes a promise to himself that he’ll remember to do that more.

 

The closet is an unkind distraction, so he goes down the stairs at practically a run. Wildly, his feet carry him quickly from place to place, trying to find traces of his wife. Apart from her clothes, and Hinata’s favorite knit blanket, which he throws over his own shoulders, he can’t find anything. 

 

It’s like everything in the house is his. It’s like she just  _ lives _ here.

 

Naruto stops in the middle of the floor, eye caught on something. A worn and stretched bobbypin, with the black paint chipping off, lies half under the couch. He collects it without thought, bending to the floor, and, quite unexpectedly, his eyes well up with tears.

 

He  _ can’t _ , he promised himself he wouldn’t let himself think this way, but is this all he has of her now?

 

\--

 

“I should go alone,” Temari shakes her head, offering him a smile over her shoulder. Her fingers are busy arranging her hair into two ponytails, skimming through dark blonde tresses, tying the thin bands at the top of both. At the second snap, Shikamaru speaks, well aware of how distracting his voice can be.

 

“Probably,” he acknowledges, “but I still wish I could go.”

 

Spinning to face him on the bed, she refolds her legs beneath her and takes his hand. “Think about how Hinata would feel, seeing us again.”

 

“You’re right,” he acknowledges again, bringing the back of her hand to his mouth and kissing it, “but I can’t help but worry.”

 

“About?” She teases, taking her hand from his and using it to cradle the side of his face. “Think a chipmunk will decide to make his new home in my hair?”

 

“Your hair is beautiful,” he frowns at her, “and I… Well, It’s stupid, Temari.” He exhales, dropping her gaze for a few seconds.

 

“You’re not stupid,” her voice is soft and unbendable, and he smiles again at it.

“What if Hinata… Lashes out at you for being happy?”

 

Temari pauses, her own smile faltering. It isn’t something she hasn’t thought about. “I’ll be okay.” She finally settles on. “I can take it. Right now, for her, I can take it. What she’s dealing with… No one should have to deal with that in their lifetime.”

 

Shikamaru follows her to the door, kissing her before she leaves.

 

He waits a few seconds, and then all but dashes for the kitchen counter, where his phone still sits from the night before.

 

Shikamaru wars with himself for several minutes ( _ seven _ ), and then texts his friend.  _ We need to talk _ .

 

\--

 

 _Be cheerful, Temari. Hinata needs you right now. Be supportive, but not overly cheerful, and_ do not _mention how good the sex was this morning._ _No matter how badly you want to tell her about it. No matter how many times you and Hinata have exchanged sex stories._

 

_ Don’t even mention sex. At all. _

 

_ In fact, just stop thinking about it altogether. Stop thinking about Shikamaru’s cock thrusting so deeply inside of you that you felt at one with him, so completely enthralled that-- _

 

Shino’s house is directly in front of her face, so much so that she has to take a step back to knock. Clearing her throat, banishing Shikamaru’s smirking face from her thoughts, she knocks twice.

 

From inside, a quiet squeak can be heard.

 

Hinata comes to the door, immediately softening when she sees that it’s Temari (not Naruto).

 

“Sorry,” Temari apologizes easily, trying a smile, “did I scare you?”

 

Chewing on her thumbnail, Hinata responds, “No.” She steps aside, shutting the door after Temari enters.

 

There’s a sudden awkward silence between the friends, and Temari finds herself rubbing the back of her neck. “I wanted to check on you,” she tries to persevere past it, “see if you’re doing okay.”

 

“I’m okay,” Hinata says, rolling around a button on Shino’s kitchen table. 

“I’m glad,” Temari says, not ingenuinely, “we-- I--” She breathes out loudly. “I was worried.”

 

“Shino’s been great,” Hinata brushes hair back from her face, still avoiding Temari’s eye. Hinata scratches her eyebrow, just for another reason not to look at her. “He gave me a futon in his spare room. It’s filled with flowers. It’s very pretty, and it smells nice.”

 

“Can I see it? I promise not to touch them.”

 

Hinata cracks a smile, nodding. “Your black thumb isn’t viral, right?”

 

“I don’t think so,” Temari smiles, “but I’ll try not to breathe on them either.”

 

She follows Hinata quietly into the back of Shino’s house. Hinata’s been here countless times before, it’s very obvious in the way she doesn’t need to look up to see where she’s going. Lavender eyes are studying her wedding ring, a heart-cut diamond offset by three tiny and expensive pearls; Temari lets her.

 

With her right hand, Hinata flips on the light inside the room. The fluorescent bulbs have been replaced with something obviously meant to simulate natural light, the light in the room more orange than anyone would ever want to live under.

 

“Pretty,” Temari breathes.

 

She waits, but when Hinata doesn’t move, Temari lifts a hand to rest on her shoulder.

 

Hinata flinches, and then relaxes. Temari strains to hear the apology she mumbles out through a wet voice, though she stands not six inches from her.

 

“It’s okay,” she replies anyway, even if Hinata didn’t mean for her to hear her say  _ sorry _ .

 

She squeezes Hinata’s shoulder, a hollow gesture of comfort. They’re both very aware that the only person Hinata wants  _ any _ comfort from right now is Naruto.

 

“Temari, I’m sorry, but I need you to do something for me.”

 

“Of course.” Her response is immediate.

 

Hinata continues to speak through her tears. “I need you to go get my clothes. I can’t… I can’t go back there.” Hinata breathes in sharply, as though there is a kunai knife between her fourth and fifth ribs.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? You shouldn’t be alone.” 

 

Hinata nods. “Please. Go get them. I think I’ll be ready to talk when you get back.”

 

There’s a pause. Because Hinata has her back to Temari, she cannot see the guilt on her face. Hinata holds her breath, waiting for Temari’s okay.

 

“Yeah. I’ll be back.”

 

Yet another pause--Hinata  _ feels _ Temari wanting to say something--and then she feels her chakra turn and leave. She waits until the door closes behind her to breathe again.

 

She shouldn’t have sent Temari in to face Naruto--it’s not a question of whether she can face it; Hinata knows she can. It’s the state Naruto’s going to be in, and that he needs to yell at someone, because the person he really wants to yell at is himself.

 

She just chose her husband over her best friend.

\--

 

“I’m here because she asked.” Temari holds up her hands, striding into the house without knocking. Naruto, half hanging half laying on the couch, starts at her intrusion.

 

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”

 

She doesn’t respond to him, so he follows her, somewhat frenzied. His footsteps bang down the hall and up the stairs powerfully as he pounds after Temari.

 

“Temari! What are you doing?”

 

“I’m getting her clothes.” She states simply, setting the box in her arms down.

 

“What? But you can’t!” Naruto’s voice is desperate, but not desperate enough to get Temari to look at him.

 

“Yes, I can. She needs to change. She needs to shower, be in clean clothes, and realize that she’s strong enough to handle this.”

 

“ _ Handle _ this?” Naruto’s voice is suddenly dangerous. “It’s nothing she has to  _ handle _ . It was one mistake!”

 

“You cheated on her.” Temari’s voice has its own brand of danger, despite how calm it is. “That’s it. Your marriage is over.”

 

Naruto flinches, so taken aback by Temari’s cold words that he can only stand and  _ watch _ her pack up his wife’s things. It’s not until she has one last shirt that Naruto finds his voice again.

 

It sounds strange to his own ears.

 

“I forgot how cruel you could be.”

 

“Remember?” She says coldly, striding across the room to the closet and pulling all out of Hinata’s clothing in one go. Naruto’s blood runs cold when he realizes how much of the closet is taken up by  _ his _ things.

 

“Where is she?” Naruto demands. He tried to yell but he couldn’t, but it didn’t come out of his throat like that. He sounds broken, on the edge of a precipice of madness. A cliff Temari is going to watch him fall down.

 

She ignores him, hefting box the box and the armful of clothes with ease.

 

“Where is she?” Naruto asks again, stepping directly into her path.

 

Temari doesn’t step down; she doesn’t even flinch. Naruto swallows.

 

“Where is she?” He asks again.

 

Temari doesn’t move. He doesn’t even see her breathe.

 

“Tell me where she is!”

 

Temari exhales, eyes narrowing. Naruto can visibly see that her jaw is clenched, that he’s about to get hit, but he can’t stop himself.

 

“As your Hokage, I ORDER YOU TO TELL ME WHERE HINATA IS!”

 

“No.” She says simply, brushing past him.

 

Deadened on the spot by his own guilt (for what he did to Hinata, and now how he treated Temari), he can only listen to her steps on the stairs and to the cold way she doesn’t even slam the door.

 

\--

 

He’d debated with himself, turned the situation over again and again in his mind, but no easy conclusion came. He finds himself wanting multiple times to talk to Temari about it, but she’s taking care of Hinata and he doesn’t have her as a resource, in this moment. It’s not a feeling he likes.

 

In the end, because of what Temari would say is something she loves about him, but what Shikamaru wishes he could  _ not _ listen to for once in his life, he decides to go see Naruto. It’s more than likely that he feels as if his world is crashing down, that he has  _ no one _ , and for someone look Naruto, whose life was actually filled with  _ no one _ for years, there may not be a worse feeling in the world.

 

Except the feeling that you’ve just lost the person you love most in the world.

 

Heaving a sigh, the Nara Clan Head stuffs his hands in his pockets and makes his way, barely picking up his feet, to the Uzumaki Residence.

 

He enters without knocking, to find Naruto staring at the door. It  _ unnerves _ Shikamaru, seeing Naruto’s normally vivacious eyes so dead.

 

“I yelled at Temari.” It’s the first thing Naruto says when Shikamaru comes through the door.

 

His friend’s face darkens immediately--but Naruto supposes he’d have the same reaction-- _ would’ve _ had the same reaction.

 

But he remains silent, so Naruto continues. “She was here with a box, getting Hinata’s clothes, and I knew Hinata would have to come home to get her clothes… so I yelled. A lot.”

 

Shikamaru nods stiffly, but one look tells Naruto the muscles in his forearms are still flexed. “She didn’t yell back. She was tough, took it like a soldier. I forget how hard she is to intimidate.”

 

Shikamaru nods again, but his posture relaxes. Naruto takes a deep breath. 

 

“You didn’t have to come over.” For the first time, Shikamaru meets his eye, and Naruto swallows dryly. 

 

“I didn’t want you to be alone.” He also forgets how kind Shikamaru can be. He and Temari are really a pair, complete opposites in some ways…

 

“Thanks,” Naruto says.

 

His voice sounds tired enough to get the last of Shikamaru’s displeasure that he yelled at his wife to leave. “She’s helping Hinata. They’re best friends.”

 

“I know.” Naruto’s eyes drop to the floor, this time. “She didn’t deserve me yelling at her. She…” Naruto’s perfectly aware that he’s pushing his luck, but he can’t stop himself. “She had a box.”

 

Shikamaru stares for a moment--three seconds--and then he understands. He closes his eyes, exhaling a heavy breath, and realizes what he’s gotten himself into. He has to help Naruto now. (Maybe he’d decided to help Naruto the minute he left his house.)

 

“... What did the box look like?” He speaks at last, looking pained.

 

Naruto ignores the discomfort on Shikamaru’s face. This isn’t about him. His marriage is  _ fine _ , it’s  _ great _ , he didn’t  _ lose the love of his life _ . He can take it.

 

He lets a little more of his rage at himself out on someone else, and if it’s the difference between being able to talk to Hinata and not being able to face her, he’ll do it again.

 

“What does that mean, Shikamaru?! It looked like a box! It was square and cardboard!”

 

“I mean,” Shikamaru tries again, frowning deeply, “did it  _ say _ anything? Did it have any labels on it? Anyone’s name?”

 

“I don’t know!” Naruto’s yell breaks in half, turning into a sound of pain. “It was… It had… Red. Red writing, something about some flowers… Is she at Ino’s?!”

 

Shikamaru chooses this exact moment to shut up, and Naruto loses it again, coming at Shikamaru, gripping the front of his shirt. “Tell me where she is! I have to know, Shikamaru! I have to see her! I have to apologize! I can’t let things be this way, not with Hinata,  _ please! _ ”

 

Naruto can see that Shikamaru’s face is screwed up, but that just means he’s close. He knows Shikamaru well enough by now to know just  _ how _ close he is. Just like he knows this is cruel--to say this is cruel and  _ low _ \--but he doesn’t have another choice.

 

“What if it was Temari?”

 

Shikamaru’s eyes snap open, and he tears Naruto’s hands off his shirt. His dark eyes are narrowed, and for the first time since last night Naruto feels something  _ other _ than guilt and self-hatred: a spark of fear.

 

“I would  _ never _ cheat on--”

 

“I know you would never cheat on Temari!” Naruto’s temper pushes Shikamaru’s--and quiets it in the same instance. “But if you didn’t know where she was-- And if I knew where she was-- You’d do  _ anything _ to get to her.”

 

Naruto’s right, and Shikamaru doesn’t try to fight it. He also knew this was a possibility when he came here, and he’s tried to prepare himself for it. With as much logic as he can muster, with a voice colored with a careful balance of disdain and empathy, he mutters, “Clean yourself up first. You’re crying.”

 

“It doesn’t fucking matter!” Naruto slashes angrily across the narrow space between himself and Shikamaru, narrowly missing punching his friend in the throat. “Tell. Me. Where. She. Is.”

 

“Shino’s.”

 

\--

 

“Breathe, Naruto,” Shikamaru instructs. He’s resigned himself to being kind to Naruto (it was harder to stand against him without Temari). “It’s not going to help if you can’t talk.”

 

Naruto nods. His anger is gone, at least; he used it all up on Temari and Shikamaru. He can speak to Hinata with a clear(er) head, tell her how sorry he is, and then when he begs and pleads for her forgiveness and falls into a deep bow (past his knees, this time, Hinata deserves him to be on the ground for her), they can have witnesses.

 

As far as Shikamaru’s considered, he’s just lucky Naruto didn’t sprint off immediately. He’d have had to run after him, and that would’ve been  _ annoying _ . That’s another reason he’s keeping his hand on his shoulder, as a preventative measure toward any attempts at sprinting off. Luckily, Shino lives close…

 

“Let me,” Shikamaru puts up a hand to stop him, “you’ll knock the door down.”

 

He knocks twice, and, to their surprise, a frantic Shino answers the door. Even behind his visor, it’s apparent that his face falls. “Shikamaru. Naruto. I… They…”

 

Wordlessly, he steps aside. “I came home for lunch, to check on Hinata, and--”

 

Shikamaru’s voice cuts through the house. “Why is Temari’s tessen on the floor?”

 

“They’re not here.” Shino states, taking an involuntary step back at the glare Shikamaru sends in his direction.

 

“I  _ realize _ that. Where are they?”

 

Shino keeps silent, and instead looks at Naruto. He’s deeper into the room, reaching into the box of Hinata’s clothes Temari was apparently carrying earlier. Hand shaking, he’s pulling out a note. Shikamaru snatches it from him, giving Naruto  _ just _ enough time to read. 

 

_ We have your wife, Hokage. She’ll die by the end of the day. _

_ The tessen user was a nice bonus. Too bad she was so slow. _

The note flutters to the floor, and Shikamaru whirls on the nearest wall and sends his fist through it. Shino doesn’t object, instead staring blankly at the note on the floor.

 

A sense of calm has settled over Naruto, who hasn’t moved a centimeter since Shikamaru took the note out of his hand.

 

His hand is bleeding, but as Shikamaru pulls away from the wall, certainly calmer, but in no way  _ better _ , he doesn’t seem to notice. To Naruto, he says, “I don’t have to imagine, anymore.”

 

\--

 

“You are two of the most powerful kunoichi in Konohagakure. Without you, their defenses will be considerably lowered. What’s more, with your deaths, your family lines cannot be continued. Both the Hokage’s and Nara Shikamaru’s lines will end.”

 

“You bastard!” Hinata snaps, yelling with the rage of trying to manipulate chakra and being unable to. Few things upset shinobi more than lack of access to chakra. Temari feels it, herself, even if she’s internalizing it. There’s emptiness inside her.

 

“Quiet, or I’ll kill you sooner.”

 

“Take us back!” Hinata is roaring, kicking and punching the walls of the steel box they’re both trapped in with all her might. “Let us out! You’re going to  _ die _ for this!” With a final punch, her twin lion chakra fizzling around her, Hinata tries one more time to break 

 

“You’re bleeding,” Temari comments, almost disinterestedly, “sit down. Conserve your energy.”

 

“I  _ can’t! _ ” Hinata snaps. “I don’t know  _ how _ you’re just sitting there! I don’t know  _ how _ you’re alright, right now! You’re always fine, aren’t you, Temari? My husband cheats on me and you’re fucking  _ fine _ , because it wasn’t you. You go get my clothes and Naruto  _ screams _ at you and you’re fine! We get ambushed and fucking  _ kidnapped _ but you’re fucking fine, because Suna trained you better than any of us!” 

 

Temari’s calm, but not without her own anger. Hers is just under the surface, instead of exploding like Hinata’s. But at this, her temper flares. “ _ No _ , I’m not. I’m claustrophobic, and Shikamaru’s losing his mind right now. I’m not alright. And neither are you. Your marriage is in shambles and you still love him, and you’re trapped in here with me. We don’t have chakra, I don’t have my fan, and we don’t know where we are.  _ We are not alright _ .”

 

The danger that flashes in Temari’s eyes finally convinces Hinata to sit down.

 

“But we need to  _ think _ ,” Temari continues, “we can get out of this. I  _ know _ it’s hard, Hinata, but put Naruto out of your head, put your marriage out of your head, and  _ think _ . We don’t know how long we have until he comes back, we don’t know who he is, and we don’t know how long this will affect our chakra.”

 

“But we have to get out.” Hinata finishes, silently fuming beside Temari.

 

“Yes.” Temari’s channeling her husband, trying to act how he would in this situation.

 

“Even though we don’t know anything.”

 

There’s a loud bang from outside, and then two smaller ones that feel like they came from  _ under _ them instead of on the same level ground. She watches debris fall to the ground between them--it looks like stone or rock.

 

Temari waits until the echoes stop to speak. “Yes.”


End file.
